B&T Replacing 1.2 Million E-ZPass Tags This Year

April 12th, 2011

Just as batteries in fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors need to be changed, batteries inside E-ZPass tags can also run down so in 2011, MTA Bridges and Tunnels plans to replace 1.2 million E-ZPass tags.

It's necessary to replace the entire tag since the batteries are sealed inside the tag. Bridges and Tunnels is making it as easy as possible and is sending account holders whose tags need to be replaced an E-ZPass replacement kit, which includes a new tag and a postage-paid envelope to return the old tag.

"The average lifespan for an E-ZPass tag battery is nine or 10 years so it's time to start swapping those old E-ZPass tags for new ones to make sure that a customer's E-ZPass travel experience remains uninterrupted," said MTA Bridges and Tunnels Acting Deputy Chief Financial Officer Kevin O'Keefe.

The old tags must be returned to avoid a $23 lost tag fee. Returned tags will be disposed of in an environmentally-responsible way.

About two weeks after getting a letter identifying the tag or tags that need replacing, a replacement kit will be mailed. "All they have to do is put the old tag in the pre-paid envelope and drop it in a mailbox," O'Keefe said. "It's that easy."

This tag swap only affects MTA issued E-ZPass tags. Customers can tell it's a Bridges and Tunnels tag by the logo on the front and the first three numbers of the account begins with 008. The last tag swap occurred between 2002 and 2006.

It's also a good time for E-ZPass customers to make sure that account information, including name address, vehicle make and license plate information, is up to date. This can be done by logging onto your account at www.ezpassny.com or by calling the New York E-ZPass Customer Service Center (NY CSC) at 1-800 333-TOLL.

E-ZPass accounted for 76 percent of all transactions at MTA crossings in 2010, the highest year-end market share in its history at B&T.